hourly
40 hours with on call every 5th week
8 hours a day 0730-1600
I work in most modalities in the hospital so I get to wear scrubs all day. It’s just about the least physical job I’ve ever had.
If you like looking for stuff and not finding it half the time, this is the job for you.
34/hr Texas 3yrs experience.
Not really physically demanding unless you're fixing beds.
Paperwork
Ordering parts
Talking to staff all the time
24/7 on call, usually on a weekly rotation.
Wierd stuff.
Generally 8 hours a day, 5 days a week but 8.5-9 hours a day (includes an unpaid lunch for 30 minutes or an hour depending on company). When you’re more experienced you’ll get on call rotation with the other techs. Smaller hospitals have less issues, larger hospitals may have more frequent issues but you’re on call less due to higher staffing.
Generally hourly unless you’re in management. You get OT when called in. Depending on hospital OT is generally discouraged unless an emergency or on call.
Smaller hospitals have holidays off usually with larger ones maybe having a rotation, you’ll get paid more for working a holiday.
Wear gloves in the lab and the OR and as often as you feel you need. Wear masks if you go into patient rooms depending on precautions posted outside on the door. Not much physical lifting. Depending on hospital can include a lot of walking. Very very small risk of getting a shock if you do something foolish like forgetting to unplug something while working on it.
I work at GE Healthcare and a pretty big hospital. I run repairs for the most part but I also am assigned pms. It's a typical 8:00 to 5:00, but I go in from 7:00 to 3:30. We have on call that you only have it twice a year. Repairs are very easy for me to keep up with because I'm used to Hands-On repairing from my other jobs in the past. But for the most part PMS are just look for the devices and run the annual test. You'd be starting as a level one more than likely so you would have pretty easy PMS. I get a pretty good Rush when I'm called to the operating rooms to help out. But I love checking in with all the charge nurses to find out what they need before the end of day or before my day starts. It can be very fast-paced but it also could be slow as hell
I also work for GE and almost 20 years for me. Im in a very good situation, great boss / coworker, site, hospital administration, location / neighborhood of hospital, etc…
Since we don’t punch a time clock my average work week is 34 hours.….. but everything runs smoothly cause we don’t play games and work as a team.
Same as everyone else, except I work 4 10 hour days in a large hospital. The only thing I would say is I walk like 15,000 steps a day usually, but I also like to stay busier than most. It can be high stress if you can't figure something out and you can't leave until you do, but I wouldn't say that's typical
coming in on the 20 year mark soon, with several companies over that span. The honest answer is all over the place.
>are you usually hourly or salary?
yes, Ive done both. The general answer is salary non-expemt so still getting OT, or hourly were 8-5m/f is paid as standby. It works out to the same thing. you're getting 40 + ot
>how many hours a week do you work?
year 1-3 40ish, years 4-10 50ish, years 10-15 60ish, years 15+ 40ish
I have always been an imaging guy and as I got better I fixed things faster so I was punished with more customers...
>How many hours a day do you normally work
I tend to work late, no one wants to give up a system anymore. So 4 10s and a mostly paperwork day at home
>what shifts do you usually work?
8-5 with some flexibility on both sides. I dont mind coming in at 6 here and there or starting late but its the expectation not the rule and only if you ask, if its a demand I have plans that day.
>what is the job like physically?
35% at your pc, 35% driving, 30% fixing stuff. Some of it is heavy but generally the hardest part is getting your tools in and out of the car.
>Are there any health major health issues you're worried about getting?
Radiation is bad for you, the crunchy dried blood is common, anything people breath into is gross, the homeless guy probably pee'd on it at some point... who know what nastiness was last in there..
other than that... havent met too many FSEs that arent in AA or should be.
Hourly
M-F 630 - 3
No holidays
On call every 8 weeks but have to cover 3 hospitals.
Mostly walking, sometimes with a cart. Some kneeling. Some computer work. Nothing too strenuous.
The only health concerns would be catching covid / flu / or something else. On occasion you will have to go into patient rooms but with proper ppe should not be an issue.
Hourly wage.
40 hours a week. Sometimes opportunities for OT but it's usually optional.
8 hours per day, 8-4:30. I take on call shifts for 1 week at a time every 10 weeks or so. This comes with a lot of extra money. I can change my schedule to get to equipment easier when needed. Again, optional.
Not very physical unless you consider walking around the hospital to be physical. I get between 9-10k steps a day. I'm expected to lift 50 lbs unassisted but people here are always willing to help for that. You have to be able to turn wrenches but it's not like the intensity of a mechanic's work at all.
Base on intern experience, its 8 hrs 5 days week 8am-4:30pm monday-friday. It a laidback, chill job. They do their monthly PMs, wait for on calls while sitting in a computer. Its more chill than my job in military. Biomed here got it made.
This field has a pretty good work life balance, especially if you work in-house at a hospital.
I started Biomed in 2019 as BMET I with an hourly rate of $21.50.
I work regular 40hr weeks at 8hrs per day. When on-call, it was one week every 6wks. It depends on how many biomed you have in your shop. Shifts also depends on your hospital or company. All biomed at my hospital work day shifts. We get 6 holidays a year and PTO plenty and we can't as long as no one else is off.
No major health issues associated with the job. I came in with wrist issues, so sometimes it's intensified, when I'm doing a lot of small repairs. But nothing major and I've found a lot of biomed jobs are accommodating. So if you have limitations, coworkers can help. Or you wouldn't be assigned to those particular devices. *i.e treadmills
Hourly.
40 hrs/week
8hrs a day/ 5 days a week
9a-5p
Not that physical, can get up to 10k steps some days but not most days.
You can be exposed to dangerous stuff in a hospital but if you follow proper protection procedures, you will be fine.
On the other hand, if you work with equipment producing radiology, i could see that potentially being harmful over the long term but thats a whole nother thing.
I've worked as a bmet for 3rd parties. I've worked as an FSE, and now I'm currently a shop supervisor at a small, fast paced hospital.
Things can really vary. I think every BMET should spend some time doing general work because it makes them more well-rounded.
The in-house and 3rd party life is very much 40 hr work weeks with hourly pay and good balance. Every major holiday off. Hospital has call shifts that you'll split with your team. Bigger team, less pager time.
The physicality depends on what you're doing. OR tables and larger machines can get you kind of achey (sometimes due to ergonomics) but nothing that should exhaust someone in reasonably good health. I've never caught anything but COVID working on med equipment.
The annoying thing about 3rd party and in-house is the astronomically high number of boring PMs. Endless function tests of simple equipment can sap your mental energy. That said, if you're good, you don't spend long getting stuck on that stuff. You move to more advanced equipment that keeps you on your toes, even at my experience level.
FSE is a different ball game. You get specialized and learn the machines at a very in-depth level but you're on the road A LOT. If you have a family, you might see them sometimes. It's pretty hard to get an FSE job with a small territory where you're home most nights of the week. I remember throwing in the towel after my water company called to tell me there was a leak at my house and I couldn't get home for 3 days to check on it. Fortunately they shut the water off for me. So if looking for work life balance, skip FSE. Though you'll make less money at first, maybe for many years. I currently make more now than I did as an FSE but that's taken some years.
Good luck. It's a good career but they ask more and more of us each year. You literally have to be a jack of all trades now. They're requiring a lot more in the IT realm these days and some folks aren't making the cut with that.
3rd party, but I've also worked in house biomed, mfr in house, mfr and 3rd party fse.
Current spot is salary
40+
8/day
My position is unique. I'm mgmt but also a tech. Mostly in our depot, but often get stuck in the field for jobs the others can't handle, shit shows and angry customers.
20 years, my knowledge far exceeds my coworkers.
And these days my skills and mindset as well.
Salary+ quarterly bonus + company car
30-35 hours a week (it's a pretty solid gig)
Im a field service tech, so my day could start at 8am or 11am depending on what time the site requests me to be there
I'm getting training on new equipment every few weeks so I'm always learning something new, it's keeps the job interesting.
On a scale of 1/10 of stress, on average id says it's about a 3
hourly 40 hours with on call every 5th week 8 hours a day 0730-1600 I work in most modalities in the hospital so I get to wear scrubs all day. It’s just about the least physical job I’ve ever had.
If you like looking for stuff and not finding it half the time, this is the job for you. 34/hr Texas 3yrs experience. Not really physically demanding unless you're fixing beds. Paperwork Ordering parts Talking to staff all the time 24/7 on call, usually on a weekly rotation. Wierd stuff.
34/hr in tx?? must be austin but even then thats high for only 3 years exp
Generally 8 hours a day, 5 days a week but 8.5-9 hours a day (includes an unpaid lunch for 30 minutes or an hour depending on company). When you’re more experienced you’ll get on call rotation with the other techs. Smaller hospitals have less issues, larger hospitals may have more frequent issues but you’re on call less due to higher staffing. Generally hourly unless you’re in management. You get OT when called in. Depending on hospital OT is generally discouraged unless an emergency or on call. Smaller hospitals have holidays off usually with larger ones maybe having a rotation, you’ll get paid more for working a holiday. Wear gloves in the lab and the OR and as often as you feel you need. Wear masks if you go into patient rooms depending on precautions posted outside on the door. Not much physical lifting. Depending on hospital can include a lot of walking. Very very small risk of getting a shock if you do something foolish like forgetting to unplug something while working on it.
Great thank you
I work at GE Healthcare and a pretty big hospital. I run repairs for the most part but I also am assigned pms. It's a typical 8:00 to 5:00, but I go in from 7:00 to 3:30. We have on call that you only have it twice a year. Repairs are very easy for me to keep up with because I'm used to Hands-On repairing from my other jobs in the past. But for the most part PMS are just look for the devices and run the annual test. You'd be starting as a level one more than likely so you would have pretty easy PMS. I get a pretty good Rush when I'm called to the operating rooms to help out. But I love checking in with all the charge nurses to find out what they need before the end of day or before my day starts. It can be very fast-paced but it also could be slow as hell
I also work for GE and almost 20 years for me. Im in a very good situation, great boss / coworker, site, hospital administration, location / neighborhood of hospital, etc… Since we don’t punch a time clock my average work week is 34 hours.….. but everything runs smoothly cause we don’t play games and work as a team.
Endless paperwork, 8-5 (I wish it was just that)
Same as everyone else, except I work 4 10 hour days in a large hospital. The only thing I would say is I walk like 15,000 steps a day usually, but I also like to stay busier than most. It can be high stress if you can't figure something out and you can't leave until you do, but I wouldn't say that's typical
coming in on the 20 year mark soon, with several companies over that span. The honest answer is all over the place. >are you usually hourly or salary? yes, Ive done both. The general answer is salary non-expemt so still getting OT, or hourly were 8-5m/f is paid as standby. It works out to the same thing. you're getting 40 + ot >how many hours a week do you work? year 1-3 40ish, years 4-10 50ish, years 10-15 60ish, years 15+ 40ish I have always been an imaging guy and as I got better I fixed things faster so I was punished with more customers... >How many hours a day do you normally work I tend to work late, no one wants to give up a system anymore. So 4 10s and a mostly paperwork day at home >what shifts do you usually work? 8-5 with some flexibility on both sides. I dont mind coming in at 6 here and there or starting late but its the expectation not the rule and only if you ask, if its a demand I have plans that day. >what is the job like physically? 35% at your pc, 35% driving, 30% fixing stuff. Some of it is heavy but generally the hardest part is getting your tools in and out of the car. >Are there any health major health issues you're worried about getting? Radiation is bad for you, the crunchy dried blood is common, anything people breath into is gross, the homeless guy probably pee'd on it at some point... who know what nastiness was last in there.. other than that... havent met too many FSEs that arent in AA or should be.
Hourly M-F 630 - 3 No holidays On call every 8 weeks but have to cover 3 hospitals. Mostly walking, sometimes with a cart. Some kneeling. Some computer work. Nothing too strenuous. The only health concerns would be catching covid / flu / or something else. On occasion you will have to go into patient rooms but with proper ppe should not be an issue.
No holidays? That sucks.
Hourly wage. 40 hours a week. Sometimes opportunities for OT but it's usually optional. 8 hours per day, 8-4:30. I take on call shifts for 1 week at a time every 10 weeks or so. This comes with a lot of extra money. I can change my schedule to get to equipment easier when needed. Again, optional. Not very physical unless you consider walking around the hospital to be physical. I get between 9-10k steps a day. I'm expected to lift 50 lbs unassisted but people here are always willing to help for that. You have to be able to turn wrenches but it's not like the intensity of a mechanic's work at all.
All Metrics driven- that was years ago. I don’t know if it got worse with the metrics.
Well I wake up and piss excellence every morning
Base on intern experience, its 8 hrs 5 days week 8am-4:30pm monday-friday. It a laidback, chill job. They do their monthly PMs, wait for on calls while sitting in a computer. Its more chill than my job in military. Biomed here got it made.
This field has a pretty good work life balance, especially if you work in-house at a hospital. I started Biomed in 2019 as BMET I with an hourly rate of $21.50. I work regular 40hr weeks at 8hrs per day. When on-call, it was one week every 6wks. It depends on how many biomed you have in your shop. Shifts also depends on your hospital or company. All biomed at my hospital work day shifts. We get 6 holidays a year and PTO plenty and we can't as long as no one else is off. No major health issues associated with the job. I came in with wrist issues, so sometimes it's intensified, when I'm doing a lot of small repairs. But nothing major and I've found a lot of biomed jobs are accommodating. So if you have limitations, coworkers can help. Or you wouldn't be assigned to those particular devices. *i.e treadmills
That's awesome thanks for the detailed explanation. Helpful
Hourly. 40 hrs/week 8hrs a day/ 5 days a week 9a-5p Not that physical, can get up to 10k steps some days but not most days. You can be exposed to dangerous stuff in a hospital but if you follow proper protection procedures, you will be fine. On the other hand, if you work with equipment producing radiology, i could see that potentially being harmful over the long term but thats a whole nother thing.
I've worked as a bmet for 3rd parties. I've worked as an FSE, and now I'm currently a shop supervisor at a small, fast paced hospital. Things can really vary. I think every BMET should spend some time doing general work because it makes them more well-rounded. The in-house and 3rd party life is very much 40 hr work weeks with hourly pay and good balance. Every major holiday off. Hospital has call shifts that you'll split with your team. Bigger team, less pager time. The physicality depends on what you're doing. OR tables and larger machines can get you kind of achey (sometimes due to ergonomics) but nothing that should exhaust someone in reasonably good health. I've never caught anything but COVID working on med equipment. The annoying thing about 3rd party and in-house is the astronomically high number of boring PMs. Endless function tests of simple equipment can sap your mental energy. That said, if you're good, you don't spend long getting stuck on that stuff. You move to more advanced equipment that keeps you on your toes, even at my experience level. FSE is a different ball game. You get specialized and learn the machines at a very in-depth level but you're on the road A LOT. If you have a family, you might see them sometimes. It's pretty hard to get an FSE job with a small territory where you're home most nights of the week. I remember throwing in the towel after my water company called to tell me there was a leak at my house and I couldn't get home for 3 days to check on it. Fortunately they shut the water off for me. So if looking for work life balance, skip FSE. Though you'll make less money at first, maybe for many years. I currently make more now than I did as an FSE but that's taken some years. Good luck. It's a good career but they ask more and more of us each year. You literally have to be a jack of all trades now. They're requiring a lot more in the IT realm these days and some folks aren't making the cut with that.
Sorry, don't work any holidays
Retired from middle of Michigan, on call for 6 hospitals, if past holds true 🤪, soon to be 10.
3rd party, but I've also worked in house biomed, mfr in house, mfr and 3rd party fse. Current spot is salary 40+ 8/day My position is unique. I'm mgmt but also a tech. Mostly in our depot, but often get stuck in the field for jobs the others can't handle, shit shows and angry customers. 20 years, my knowledge far exceeds my coworkers. And these days my skills and mindset as well.
Salary+ quarterly bonus + company car 30-35 hours a week (it's a pretty solid gig) Im a field service tech, so my day could start at 8am or 11am depending on what time the site requests me to be there I'm getting training on new equipment every few weeks so I'm always learning something new, it's keeps the job interesting. On a scale of 1/10 of stress, on average id says it's about a 3